Description
Chris Blowes motivational speaker sessions come from the Australian Adaptive Surfing Champion. He is a living testament to resilience. On Anzac Day 2015, while surfing on the Eyre Peninsula, Chris was attacked by a Great White shark. He lost a leg. His heart stopped. He was left bleeding out at the bottom of a cliff, 35 kilometres from the nearest hospital.
Why book Chris Blowes as your motivational speaker
Today, Chris is an above-knee amputee, elite para surfer, co-author and disability advocate. He is the reigning Australian Adaptive Surfing Champion, a title he won in 2022. He is also co-author of the book “Caught Inside,” which chronicles his extraordinary journey. So he combines authentic storytelling with practical lessons in resilience and mindset. From his near-death experience to returning to the physical work of building and competitive surfing, Chris shows that hardship does not define you. Instead, your response does.
In his keynotes, Chris shares the lessons he learned in survival, recovery and triumph. His signature topics include Overcoming Adversity, Dealing With Your Inner Critic, and Stepping Outside of Your Comfort Zone. He also covers Overcoming Fear of Failure, The Power of Gratitude, and Finding Purpose in Your Trauma. Through each of these, he helps audiences transform adversity into opportunity. He turns fear into courage, and trauma into purpose.
His presentations encourage audiences to embrace discomfort. They persevere through challenges as a result. As a disability advocate, Chris also highlights the importance of inclusion and adaptive sport and mental resilience. Above all, he shows that success and purpose are achievable for anyone willing to confront life’s obstacles.
Book Chris Blowes motivational speaker for your next conference, offsite or leadership event today. See Chris Blowes’ full profile, keynote topics and testimonials on the Corporate Speakers Australia speaker page, or browse other motivational keynote speakers.
Speaking topics
Overcoming adversity
Chris was attacked by a Great White Shark leaving him with a permanent disability and changing his life forever. Life will throw all kinds of challenges at you, and Chris highlights how there can be so much to gain if you can come out the other side.
Dealing with your inner critic
Everyone has that voice inside their head that tells you – “you’re not good enough” or “you can’t do it”. Having the courage to recognise and stand up to these limiting beliefs is important so you can achieve your full potential.
Stepping outside of your comfort zone
It’s easy to stay within your comfort zone, but the true magic happens when we push the boundaries. When we take risks and do something that scares us, that’s when the biggest growth happens.
Overcoming fear of failure
So often we look at failure as something bad or negative. But if we can change our thinking to embrace our failures and view them as an answer and an opportunity for learning there can be so much to gain.
The power of gratitude
Even in the darkest of times, Chris still had plenty to be grateful for. Research shows that a regular gratitude practice improves your wellbeing and ability to cope with stresses. Learn gratitude strategies to help get you through moments of hardship or those tough days.
Finding purpose in your trauma
Everyone has a story and everyone carries their own trauma which is often associated with negative connotations. Chris inspires you to look at your trauma through a different lens and find a bigger purpose beyond the heartache.
Testimonials
“Chris is a wonderful speaking talent with a great heart and a tremendously powerful story. Having survived the most horrific ordeal imaginable, his willingness to relive the terror he faced and share his experience for the sole purpose of helping others is incredibly inspiring. It’s very rare that you come across someone who can render any audience speechless, regardless of who they are and you can guarantee anyone who hears Chris present will leave feeling more grateful to be alive.”
Young Blood Men’s Health Matter
“We have been privileged to hear Chris Blowes speak on two occasions. For me, Chris’s story resonates on many levels. Of course his survival was extraordinary, but that was largely out of his hands. The courage shown on the day of the shark attack can be credited to his surfing mates. The skill and tenacity demonstrated is a tribute to the many health professionals involved. Where Chris had to step up was from the moment he awoke from the sedation in the hospital ICU. His recovery and rehab is a wonderful tale of mental
strength and willpower. To finally return to his highly physical work as a builder and to resume his surfing is a measure of his character. And in his telling of the story in a typically understated, laconic Aussie fashion, there is a message for all of us about the power of positivity.”
Dr Richard Harris SC OAM – 2019 Joint Australian of the Year
“Chris spoke with real emotion and humanity. There were parts of his incredible story that made the hairs on my arm stand to attention. Surviving the shark attack itself was simply the beginning of a truly inspirational come back and rebuild of his whole way of life. To say I was inspired and moved by what Chris has achieved is an understatement. With a view to continue doing the things he loved (like surfing) after being told it was not going to be possible is a real lesson in strength, courage, persistence, love and perseverance. All qualities of a great leader and a remarkable human being.”
President of Urban Development Institute of Australia
